Here are 3 easy games to keep in your back pocket. At some point this summer, it’s going to happen. You will need a game to bail you out in a pinch. It won’t be during your mid-week program because you’ve planned that well in advance (you have planned that well in advance, right?).…
I remember asking my supervisor for budget approval to purchase a new video camera. I was ready for him to tell me I was asking for too much money. I presented my request, and there was no discussion. It was a resounding “yes.”…
If you’re a volunteer youth worker who needs to take a break, this article might help you. If you’re a youth pastor with maxed-out volunteers, this article might give you perspective. I am a longtime volunteer youth worker and full-time staffer at my church in a non-youth ministry role. …
I had the privilege of spending three days in the beautiful Colorado mountains with leaders from the world’s top youth ministry organizations. It was such an honor to laugh, cry, pray, and dream with the people who’ve been shaping youth ministry for decades.…
I’ve done 5,000 zoom calls over these past few months. You probably have too. On a recent one, someone asked me this pivotal question: “Jeanne, if a microphone were put in your hands and you were told that you could communicate any message to the Christian leadership world, but you could only use one sentence, what would you say?”…
Summer was in full swing. Katie was seven months pregnant—due the second week in August. And me? I was “pregnant” with three camps, a mission trip, a fall planning retreat, and our annual VBS week. All packed back-to-back through June and July, leading right up to Katie’s due date. …
Wrestling with the idea of student leadership in your ministry? Having trouble landing on a model/strategy that feels right? Here are three possible scenarios: ORGANIC Organic student leadership doesn’t rely on a program; there are no monthly gatherings, no “requirements” etc.…
If it hasn’t happened already, it’ll happen soon enough: the late night phone call from a student or parent dropping a bombshell. “Tim, my dad just beat me up. What should I do?” “Tasha, my mom just left my dad, and I don’t know where I should go now.”…
We’ve been here before… Our annual summer mission trip is just around the corner and we’re pulling leaders out of our….directories. How did this happen again this year? I was so good at planning ahead. Then badda bing, badda boom, it’s May!…
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… A healthy relationship with your senior pastor is a core part of a healthy youth ministry. I understand this isn’t often the case, and you may wonder most days what’s happening in his or her head. …
